PrEDiabETES &
YOU FIND HELP Diabetes Prevention Program providers and eligibility:
www.cdc.gov/diabetes/ prevention/
prediabetes is diagnosed when blood
glucose is higher than normal but not high
enough for a diagnosis of type 2 diabetes.
DO YOU HAVE PREDIABETES?
the diabetes prevention program study proved that for people with
prediabetes, the development of type 2 diabetes could be prevented or
delayed through lifestyle changes. the national dpp will enroll adults
who have been diagnosed with prediabetes based on a blood test or are
at high risk for prediabetes. a body mass index over 24 (or 22 for people
of asian descent), a family history of diabetes, older age, getting little
physical activity, and having had gestational diabetes all increase the
likelihood that a person has prediabetes and should enroll in the program.
DIAGNOSIS NUMBERS
three types of blood tests are used to diagnose diabetes and prediabetes.
the a1C is a measure of average blood glucose over the previous two to
three months. the fasting plasma glucose (Fpg) tests your blood glucose
level on an empty stomach. the oral glucose tolerance test (ogtt) measures
blood glucose before and two hours after drinking a syrupy glucose solution.
here’s what the test results tell you.
Diagnosis
Diabetes
a1C
PreDiabetes
5.7% to 6.4%
fPG
126 mg/dl and
above
100 to 125 mg/dl
oGtt
200 mg/dl and
above
140 to 199 mg/dl
NorMaL
less than 5.7%
less than
100 mg/dl
less than
140 mg/dl
ONLINE QUIZ:
Check your type 2 diabetes
risk at
diabetes.org/risktest
Program. Spearheaded by the CDC, it
was created as part of the 2010 health
care reform law. “We have got to have
a public-health impact in diabetes
prevention,” says Ann Albright, PhD,
RD, director of the CDC’s Division
of Diabetes Translation. The nation
can’t have just a few people access
this prevention program, she says.
Finding ways to pay for the DPP
is a big part of the CDC’s push. The
program’s cost has been slashed, but
the typical $350 to $500 fee is still a
hurdle for people with prediabetes.
Enter the health insurance industry.
The major insurer UnitedHealth-care already covers the program for
more than 2 million policyholders.
Four other insurance companies are
soon to join the effort, says Deneen
Vojta, MD, senior vice president and
chief clinical officer of UnitedHealth
Group. Medicaid recipients in the
New York City area have DPP coverage, too.
“We pay for what works,” says
Vojta. One analysis of the original
DPP showed that medical care for the
average participant cost $2,600 less
over the 10 years following the program than care for those in a group
that didn’t take DPP classes.
The National DPP is expanding
rapidly, although it’s still not available
everywhere. You can ask your local Y
if it offers the program and find out
if your health plan covers it. If not,
suggest that your employer add it to
your group plan.
The CDC’s Albright is hopeful
about the power of the program to
prevent or delay diabetes. “We do
a disservice to the investment in
research if we don’t bring it to people,” she says. “Taking that science
from its original discovery to widespread implementation—that’s what
we’re here to do.” ;
